In this fast moving world, we are all looking for the holy grail of training and technology, and how it can be used to make it faster and easier for people to learn and stay ahead of the curve.

Corporates and small business are all looking for a better way to train staff without impacting on down time and profitability. So what are the trends?

Martin Couzins of Learning Technologies:

All mobile devices now have the functionality to enable the easy consumption of video. This means video, is set to grow and L&D teams have the opportunity to leverage it as a medium for learning content.

Barbara Thompson, a learning and performance consultant at BP:

A video is a powerful medium for creating an emotional response. She said that L&D teams should consider it as a useful tool for behavioural change. Thompson added that between 80% and 90% of behaviours are formed by following examples set by leaders. Video can help spread these “good” messages.

Author; Brian Solis:

This generation is the one that is digitally connected, which means organisations must think differently about how to engage them. Learning needs to be a continuous process, which it can be using digital technologies, versus a one-shot deal, which it has been historically through,classroom-based training.

Doug Harward, CEO, Training Industry, Inc.:

Savvy training organisations are adjusting to this new era by creating personal learning environments and other initiatives aimed at assisting both learners and companies.The growth of Gamification, the old saying that “learning can be fun” is truer today than ever before. The spirit of competition not only makes learning more enjoyable; it increases retention and boosts all-important time-to-competency measurements. It’s a concept employed by sales organizations and now quickly spreading throughout the enterprise. And why not? Competitive games serve both employer and employee.

Social Badges:

Are visible and validated indicators of successfully accomplishing a task, attainment of skill, completion of education, expressed interest, or level of quality. Badges can be physical or digital in nature.

Bottom Line Performance:

Trends to focus on;1. Less desktop and more mobile…but not that fast.

2. Fewer full-sized courses that require large chunks of time to complete in a singlesitting. More learning snacks.

3. Less focus on the LMS (learning management system). More focus on Tin Can API (application programming interface).

So with all this information what are the trends, what is clear is, we need to use the resources that are out there now, plus find innovative ways to expand the way training is done. We know the smartphone market is growing, businesses all use computers, making use of all possible ways to make training easier, more fun and more accessible seems to be the major trend. But again what is the one driving force behind all of this? Content, content, content…